(A/N - Heyhey! Thank you to all reviewers! Okay, this took a while to update. My dearest apologies. For those of you who haven't seen RENT, you might be a little confused by this chapter and will most likely be thinking, 'what the hell?' the whole time, that's what I was thinking when I first saw Maureen's protest. Anyhu. As in a lot of other RENT/Wicked crossovers, they make Maureen and Elphaba like 'long-lost sisters' because Idina Menzel (who is awesome!) plays Maureen and Elphaba from the OBC in both shows. I'm not saying I don't like the idea, one of those sister stories is actually pretty good. But to those of you looking forword to some Maureen/Elphaba special connection, sorry. So without further ado...)
Mark, Elphaba and Galinda were all watching TV on the couch. Elphaba and Galinda were simply fascinated with the contraption, though for some reason, Elphaba didn't quite like the fact that it was in color and not black and white. Elphaba was in the middle of the couch, Mark's arm around her thin shoulder as she leaned on his chest. The feeling in Mark that came with being Elphaba was at an all time high and he felt like he was the best man alive. Galinda was on the other side, leaning on Elphaba. The door suddenly banged open, jolting them all from their cozy position.
"Does anyone knock around here?" asked Elphaba, truly confused.
"Well apparently Roger and Mimi don't." Mark laughed. He switched off the TV. Mark stood up to go greet them at the door.
"So, I was in my loft upstairs and I was wondering, you know, I haven't seen Mark for two weeks, and he lives right beneath me, so I figured I'd come and see if he was still alive. What's happened to you?" asked Roger, knocking his fist into Mark's arm, "It's like you disappeared off the face of the Earth for the past two weeks."
"Yes, you're all Roger could think about. Even when we were making hot steamy love, he'd pause and go, 'hmm, I wonder where Mark is?'" said Mimi, only slightly joking. Mark was notorious for walking into Roger and Mimi's loft when they being....intimate.
"Oh, well, I've had company." said Mark, turning around and gesturing to Elphaba and Galinda who were still seated on the couch, "They just moved in with me. This is Elphaba and this is Galinda."
"Holy shit! You're green!" Roger exclaimed, looking at Elphaba, his eyes bugging.
"Thank you captain obvious!" Elphaba snapped sarcastically.
"Roger!" Mimi hit Roger on the head.
"Hi, I'm Mimi," said Mimi, she nudged Roger in the side.
"Ow! I'm Roger." said Roger.
"He's like a trained puppy, can I pet him?!" Galinda squealed. Elphaba smirked and sent Roger a look that said 'that's what you get for being rude'. Roger glared at Galinda and Galinda wiggled her fingers at him sweetly.
"Shut up." he muttered.
"Mimi, you need to control your pet, he's not being very nice." said Mark, shaking a finger at Roger. Mimi rolled her eyes and patted Roger's head. Everyone laughed but Roger.
"If we're all done with making fun of Roger,--" Roger began, when the door was banged open yet again. Benny strolled in, wearing his expensive clothes and smelling of rich people, sellout, traitor cologne. Benny was considered an ex-bohemian. He used to have principles and morals, but he abandoned them all to marry Muffy, the daughter of a rich wealthy man of the Upper East Side. Benny, Collins, Roger, Mark and Maureen had even used to share the loft they stood in now. He used to be one of them, now he was just a sellout. He now owned the apartment and was buying many more, evicting people right and left. Mark and Roger both crossed their arms at the same time and stood looking at Benny.
"And what do you want?" asked Mark bitterly, "Are you here to evict us like you are everyone else? Do you know how many homeless people there are because of you?"
"I couldn't give a damn about the homeless. They need to get off their ass and stop cluttering the sidewalks." said Benny harshly.
"That's exactly the type of attitude towards the homeless Maureen is protesting." said Mark.
"Maureen is protesting losing her performance space, not my attitude." Benny smirked, he owned Maureen's performance space as well, "Listen," Benny held his hands out as though to show he meant no harm, "Muffy's dad read about Maureen's protest in the Village Voice, got pissed, and sent me here to collect the rent."
"What rent?" asked Mark and Roger.
"The rent from last year, the rent from this past month, the rent I let slide," said Benny.
"What?! You said we were golden!" said Mark.
"Yeah, that was before I bought the lot." said Benny, "And I've got some investing to do."
"Well, we're broke." said Mark, "Remember when you used to live with us?"
"Oh, how could I forget? You, me, Collins and...Maureen. How is the drama queen?" asked Benny. Mark suddenly became embarrassed. He shrugged.
"You still her production manager?" asked Benny.
"No..." said Mark.
"You still dating her?" asked Benny.
"I was dumped." Mark sighed.
"Oh, she found another man?"
"Not exactly." said Roger, trying not to laugh.
"What's his name?" asked Benny, ignoring Roger. He knew that a girl like Maureen Johnson did not go solo for long. Mark and Roger exchanged glanced.
"Joanne." they said at the same time. There was a silence, until Benny began laughing hysterically.
"Gee, thanks so much for understanding." said Mark.
"You expect sympathy from the guy who turned off our power on Christmas Eve?" asked Roger.
"Listen guys, I've got a plan. Next door the home of cyber arts you see, and now that the block is rezoned, our dream can become a reality. A state of the arts, virtual, interactive studio. I'll forgo your rent, and on paper guarantee, that you can stay here for free. If you do me, one small favor..." Benny proposed.
"What's that?" asked Mark.
"Convince Maureen to cancel her protest." said Benny.
"Why not just get an injunction or call the cops?" asked Mark.
"Yeah I did, and they're on standby," Benny smirked, "But my investors would rather I handle this quietly."
"You mean your father in law?"
"You can't just wipe out an entire tent city, and watch 'It's A Wonderful Life' on TV." said Roger.
"You wanna produce films and write songs? You need somewhere to do it, it's what we used to dream about, think twice before you plough through it. You'll see boys." said Benny.
"Nice try," said Mark, "But we're not sellouts."
"Then you'll pack." with that, Benny stormed out of the loft.
"What an ass." said Mimi.
"He won't do anything." said Roger, waving his hand dismissively, "He's Benny."
"Yeah, that used to mean something." Mark smirked.
"I don't like him." Elphaba stated.
"Don't worry, nobody does." Mark sighed.
*************
Mark held Elphaba's hand as he led her through the thick crowd awaiting Maureen's show. Galinda followed behind, clutching Elphaba's other hand. People turned to yell at the trio for bumping into them, but their words were cut short at the sight of the green skin. Elphaba wanted to snap at them for staring but she was moving too fast to focus on anyone. Everyone looked the same, tattered clothing, the occasional scent of alcohol on their breaths and a cup in hand, for spare change and begging. Galinda seemed to stick out with her bright dress. Finally, they found room near the stage to actually stand without being squished.
"Why are we here again?" asked Galinda.
"To see Maureen's protest." said Mark for the umpteenth time.
"Oh," said Galinda, "The girl who dumped you?"
"Yes, that one." said Mark, sighing heavily.
"Elphie!" they heard the distinguishable voice of Angel. She and Collins were walking over to them, "Glinny and Marky!" Angel hugged them all like they hadn't seen each other in years.
"Hi Angel." said the three.
"You seen Mimi?" asked Angel.
"Yo, over there." said Collins, pointing to Roger and Mimi. He waved them over. Roger and Mimi walked over, Roger's arm draped over her shoulders.
"Mimi!"
"Angel!" The two hugged and Angel lifted Mimi into the air, seeing as Angel was actually a man and could do that. Roger and Collins rolled their eyes and exchanged glances as though they were the bored husband at their wives reunion.
Suddenly, there was a big commotion at the back of the room followed by loud cheers. Mark quickly got his camera ready. There were the vroom sounds of a motor bike and Maureen Johnson made her entrance. She rode a white motor bike and wore a white jacket and helmet. Elphaba and Galinda both looked at the motor bike in wonder, now that was something Oz didn't have. Maureen rode past them, waving at the boho's. She went onto the stage and took the helmet off, shaking out her dark brown hair. The crowd cheered louder. She smiled and then took off her white jacket, throwing it at Mark. Mark caught it and handed it to Roger as he aimed his camera at her. Maureen winked at him and held up her hand s for the crowd to quiet down. The crowd hushed and the lights dimmed as a spotlight shone on Maureen. Elphaba looked to the source of the spotlight and saw Joanne, smiling lovingly at Maureen from a balcony, shining the spotlight on her. Elphaba decided she liked Joanne.
"Last night, I had a dream!" Maureen said dramatically, "I found myself in a desert, called cyber land. It was hot. My canteen had sprung a leak and I was....thirsty. Then, out of the abyss, walked a cow....Elsie. I asked if she had anything to drink. She said," Maureen then began to sing, "'I'm forbidden to produce...' (spoken) Milk, (sung) 'In cyber land we only drink....(spoken) diet coke...She said, (sung) 'Only thing to do is jump over the moon..." Maureen continued with her performance, going in and out of a speaking and singing, "They've closed everything real down, like barns and troughs and...performance spaces! And replaced it all with lies and rules and...Virtual life. But there is a way out...." Maureen pressed a button on a sound machine and the background music came on, "leap of faith, leap of faith (leap of faith kept playing in the background), only thing to do is jump over the moon." the music turned off, "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII gotta get out of here! It's like I'm being tied to the hood of a yellow rental truck, being packed in with fertilizer and fuel oil, pushed over a cliff by a suicidal Mickey Mouse! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII've gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta (big breath!) gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta find a way, to jump over the moon. Only thing to do is jump over the moon. Then, a little bull dog entered, his name, we have learned, was Benny," Maureen gestured to Benny, who was standing in the crowd looking out of place in his business suit while everyone else wore tattered clothing. The crowd booed Benny loudly and Benny rolled his eyes, showing that he didn't care what a bunch of homeless low lives thought.
"And though he once had principles, he abandoned them to live as a lap dog to a wealthy daughter of the revolution. A-one, two, three, that's bull. He said, 'ever since the cat took up the fiddle that cow's been...jumpy. The dish and the spoon were evicted from the table and he loped. She's had trouble with her milk and that moon ever since, maybe it's a...female thing. 'Cause who'd want to leave cyber land anyway? Walls ain't so bad, the dish and the spoon for instance, they're down on their lock, they come knocking on my doghouse door and I say, 'not in my backyard utensils, go back to China!' The only way out is up! Elsie whispered to me, a leap a faith! Still thirsty? Parched. So I lowered myself beneath her swollen utter and I sucked the sweetest milk I have ever tasted. Climb on board, she said. And as a harvest moon rose over cyber land, we reared back. We sprang, into a gallop, leaping out of orbit. I awoke...singing! Only thing to do is jump over the moon!" Elphaba and Galinda found themselves to be very confused throughout the performance. What was diet coke? What was cyber land? What was all this talk about cat's and fiddles and jumping over the moon? Why was she personifying utensils? And what in Oz was a suicidal Mickey Mouse? Mark found himself glancing at Elphaba every time Maureen would say something and smiling amusedly as he saw her confused expression.
"Moo with me." said Maureen. Mark glanced at Elphaba, she'd finally gotten so confused she couldn't handle it. Elphaba seemed to strike Mark as the type of person who didn't take confusion or disorganization very well.
"What?!" she yelled. Nobody but Mark and Galinda seemed to notice. Mark laughed and called out loudly, but still looking at Elphaba.
"MOO!" he said. Maureen eyes lit up and she turned, pretending not to know Mark.
"Yes sir!" Maureen cried, "Yes! Moo with me!! That was a beautiful moo! Everyone, c'mon, moo with me!"
"Moo!!"
"MOO!"
"MooOOOOOOOO!!"
"Yes! Yes! Moo with me!" Maureen cried. Soon the room was filled with moo's. But the good fun of it all ended when the sound of a shattering beer bottle broke through the voices. The room filled with action as the police who were on standby all reared into action and began hitting people with their clubs and handcuffing them. Angel was by Collins, beating a policeman's ass off. Roger was pulling Mimi through the crowd. With all the confusion, it was hard to see anything or have any knowledge of what was going on.
"No stop!" Maureen was saying, but nobody was listening now. They were too geared up to stop now. The yelling was hurting Elphaba's head and she closed her eyes as the shouting and chaos grew. Mark and Galinda had been pushed aside and were now looking frantically for Elphaba. They found her standing in the middle of a ring of people. Most were policeman trying to grab her, the others were Collins and Angel, protecting her like they'd known her their whole life. Mark wondered why Elphaba wasn't moving. He pushed through the chaotic crowd and soon realized her eyes were glazed over. He quickly shoved a policeman aside and pulled Elphaba into his arms, holding her in his strong grasp.
"The Life Café!" Mark shouted to Collins and Angel. They hurried out of the performance area. Maureen was no longer on stage and Joanne's post as head of lighting was gone. They ran until they were half way down the block, not really wanting to be arrested. They finally stopped outside of the Life.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Collins.
"She's having a flashback." said Mark.
"What?"
"I guess I didn't tell you she had lost her memory when I found her. She has flashbacks often." said Mark.
"That ain't no normal flashback." said Collins, staring in horror at the glassy white of Elphaba's once brown eyes.
"I know," said Mark in frustration, "I can't explain it."
**************
A ring of policeman closed in around her. As Collins and Angel came to her rescue, pushing the police aside, she felt her mind go fuzzy and the scene before her wisp away as a new scene took place.
She was carrying a large stack of books, when a boy came and knocked them out of her arms. She tried to get them back, but another boy appeared and they made a game of keep away, throwing her books high over her head. She was about to just walk away and forget the book when four or five more boys came. They formed a circle around her and pushed her around. They yelled and jeered at her and laughed. The noise caught the attention of four or five more boys and they were soon there too, joining in on the fun. They pushed her around in the circle they'd made around them. They shoved her and threw her books about, one even tried to kiss her. He pushed her onto the floor, climbing on top of her. The other boys cheered loudly. Elphaba closed her eyes tightly and tried to push him off, but she wasn't strong enough. Then, another boy came bounding towards her, he pushed the boy on top of her off and yelled at the other boys. She fled the scene as soon as she was free, running to the forest.
Elphaba's eyes closed and the scene vanished as New York came back into view, the brown coming back to her eyes. She was breathing hard. The boy who'd rescued her, she couldn't see his face in the flashback. His face had been blurred and she couldn't hear his voice when he spoke. She could see his messy blonde hair and strong build. But she wanted so badly to see his face. She couldn't remember his name, age, nothing. She wished she'd never had that flashback, because then she wouldn't have to remember that she couldn't remember him. Him, that was what he'd have to go by, she had nothing else to call him. He was simply him because she couldn't remember nothing else of him. Nothing. At. All.
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